That night in oncology, some sheets changed everything

Working in pediatric oncology is one of the hardest things there is. And also, one of the most beautiful. Silvia knows this better than anyone.

@silvia_super_starPediatric Nurse · Pediatric Hospital · Oncology

Who she is and what she does

Silvia is a registered nurse who works at a pediatric hospital. Her job, in her own words, is to care for all the little ones who need medical attention to improve their health and go home soon.

Said like that, it sounds simple. But anyone who knows pediatric nursing knows that behind that sentence are long nights, difficult cases, and an emotional strength that isn't learned in any book.

Why she chose this path

As a child, Silvia wanted to be a veterinarian or a dentist. She always knew she wanted to be in healthcare — but nursing wasn't what she had in mind at first.

It was when she started her degree and experienced her first year from the inside that something changed. What she found there, she hadn't found anywhere else. And from that moment on, she says, she couldn't leave it.

"When I discovered nursing and spent my first year in that career, I couldn't leave it."

What she believes about her job

For Silvia, the most valuable part of her job has a very concrete image: a patient who comes in through the emergency room or intensive care, and who day by day, week by week, slowly improves — until the moment comes when they leave the hospital completely healthy, having won the battle against a serious illness.

Accompanying that process from beginning to end, being there for every small advance, is what gives meaning to every shift.

And there's something else she values about this profession, something not everyone sees this way: the satisfaction of being where no one else wants to be. Of knowing that her presence matters precisely because that place is difficult.

"It fills you with a lot of satisfaction when you know you are in a place where no one else wants to be."

The moment she won't forget

It was in oncology. An area that, visually, is difficult. The children know it. Their families know it. And those who work there know it too.

But Silvia wanted her patients to feel something else. One night, the children started imagining scenarios — as children do, with that ability to transform any place into whatever the mind desires. That night they wanted tents.

Silvia took sheets and built their little houses. Crib by crib, she improvised a small different world within those walls. And the children, on their own, found a way to communicate with each other: paper cups and string, like homemade telephones stretched between one bed and another.

That night they spent laughing.

"Every night they spent laughing, happy, and for me that was very, very beautiful."

In pediatric oncology, a night like that is not forgotten.

How she keeps going

With honesty and no complicated formulas: two liters of coffee are mandatory, plus some sweets to maintain energy on night shifts. There's no more glamorous ritual than that — and it works.

But beyond the caffeine, what truly sustains her is knowing why she's there. That, in the most difficult moments, is worth more than any rest.

Where she's going and what she tells newcomers

In ten years, Silvia imagines herself in the exact same place: in a hospital, caring for her children, giving them the best possible attention. Perhaps with a specialization that allows her to delve deeper into the quality of care her patients can receive. But always close to them.

What she would tell her future self is simple and profound at the same time: thank you for not giving up. For keeping that spark that, over the years and with wear and tear, sometimes extinguishes in those who practice this profession.

And for anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps, the advice is clear:

Do it. It's a beautiful career, full of activity, purpose, unforgettable moments. You'll never get bored. But also prepare yourself internally — because what you experience in here is sometimes tough, and you have to be ready for that too.

"You have to strengthen yourself mentally. What you experience in here is sometimes a bit tough, but you can do it."